GreenPower Motor Company, a manufacturer of electric medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, has cut the ribbon at its new South Charleston, West Virginia manufacturing facility. The facility, which is home to the company’s electric school bus manufacturing operations east of the Mississippi River, has been expanded by an additional 80,000 square feet. It is expected to begin operations in September, and by next year it will have a production capacity of up to 150 electric school buses per quarter.

GreenPower’s facility is expected to bring approximately 200 new clean-energy jobs to the state within the next year, and up to 900 when it reaches full production. The company is partnering with BridgeValley Community and Technical College to provide hands-on training to workers.

The EPA’s Clean School Bus Program, part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, provides five billion dollars over five years to replace legacy school buses with zero-emission models. Under the program, GreenPower’s Type D BEAST electric bus is eligible for a rebate of up to $375,000, and the Type A Nano BEAST is eligible for up to $285,000.

“Through this new facility we will be able to exponentially increase our production to meet the increased demand for all-electric school buses,” said GreenPower President Brendan Riley, citing new public funding at the state and federal levels, along with state climate change regulations, as drivers of the increased demand. “The work we’re doing in South Charleston allows us to be well-positioned as the leader nationwide in the transition to clean, electric and safer transportation.”

“As we continue to diversify our economy, manufacturing zero-emission school buses in West Virginia will open up a world of opportunities for our state,” said Governor Jim Justice.  Not only will it bring hundreds of great-paying jobs to the Kanawha Valley, but the ripple effects on our state’s economy will be massive.”

Source: GreenPower